Hi guys, im pretty new to recording equiptment but not new to musicianship (yes I might have just made that word up), and I was wondering exactly what ADAT is. I know it is similar to a tape.

So..what is it, what are its benefit/disadvantages, and is it worth it?

ADAT is not really similar to analog tape -- it is Alesis' DIGITAL multi-track recorder. An ADAT machine records up to 8 tracks of digital audio on what is essentially an S-VHS video tape. Multiple ADAT units can be run together (in sync, effortlessly) to create a much larger multitrack system.

The later 20-bit units are fairly capable, but as with any tape-based system, the transports can be finicky, and there is a maintenance routine required to clean the transport and heads (digital or not, tape does shed!)

The on-board converters are decent enough, but they do represent an older digital technology.
_________________
Bruce Valeriani - Mix Engineer